Portable flashlight



Sept. 23, 1947. s. E. WHITE PORTABLE FLASHLIGHT Filed Sept. 7, 1945 hue/ 1702 Asap m; m r flit Patented Sept. 23, 1947 UNITED STATE PORTABLE FLASHLIGHT Sanford E. White, Santa Monica, Calif.

Application September 7, 1945,

sen-a1 No. 614,929

2 Claims. (Cl. 240-218) The present invention relates to portable flashlights.

The primary object thereof is to provide an attachment which may be constructed either integral with the flash-light casing or secured thereto and a detachable element which will, when connected up, provide means for projecting a light in places inaccessible to a flash-light of the conventional type.

Another object of the invention is to provide a flash-light of the type mentioned whose construction with the attachment is simpler and more compact than that of prior devices.

A further object is to provide a device having few parts which may be readily assembled.

With the foregoing and other objects and advantages in view the invention consists of the construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings invention,

Figure 1 is a conventional type of portable flash-light with casing partly broken away and the attachment shown in vertical section.

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail view of a vertical section of the bracket and adjoining parts with the detachable auxiliary light-bulb conduit plugged into the bracket.

In the drawings, similar numerals indicate the same parts of construction.

I is a conventional type of portable flash-light with screw-threaded top 2 and tubular casing 3. 4 is the ordinary flash-light bulb, 5 its socket and 6 one of the battery-cells. The opposing terminals of battery and bulb-socket are shown. The casing 3 is constructed preferably of fiber, plastic, or other suitable non-conducting material an'd, to illustrate one embodiment of the invention, a separate metal bracket 1 is shown as secured to the casing by rivets. Attached to the outside wall of the casing is a switch with slidable member adapted to be moved into contact with bracket 1 by the button 9. A conducting element Ba of the switch, shown in dotted lines in Figure 1, is secured to the inner wall of the casing and connected with the negative terminal of the battery.

On the inner wall of casing 3, adjacent the bracket 1, are the upper and lower angle-plates I0 and l I made of a non-conducting material and suitably spaced apart to form a horizontal slot 12. The parallel, horizontal branches l3 and I4 of the angle-plates project through a registering slot IS in the casing 3 and beneath the upper part of the bracket. The branch illustrating the M of the lower angle-plate extends beyondthe end of branch I3 of the upper angle-plate and to a point just beyond a threaded vertical aperture IS in the: upper part ofthe bracket where it is secured to one end of a flat, horizontal contact-arm H which is superimposed. This contact-arm projects interiorly of the casing 3 through slot I2 between the angle-plates and its inner end is adapted to contact with terminals of bulb-socket 5 and battery-cell 6. 4

A tubular conduit l8, made of a suitable pliable metal and any desired length, is provided at its top with a lamp-socket l9 adapted to receive an incandescent bulb 20. At its other end the conduit is provided with a threaded plug 2| adapted to fit into the aperture Hi of the bracket and said conduit contains a circuit wire 22 enameled for insulation, which connects the socket [9 to a terminal plate 23 located beneath the end of the conduit. This terminal is positioned to contact the adjacent end of contact-arm 11 when the plug 2| is inserted. The tube l8 serves as the path for the return circuit to the battery through bracket 1 and switch-member 8. This conduit being made of a pliable metal, it will be obvious that it may be bent into any desired shape and the light bulb on its free end pointed in any direction, thus directing light into places otherwise inaccessible to the ordinary flash-light, even around a corner. When disconnected, the conduit, if made in a suitable length for ordinary use, may be fastened to the flash-light l by means of rubber bands, cord, or other suitable means.

In operation, the plug 2| for light-bulb 20 is inserted in the aperture l6 of bracket 1 and the button 9 is pushed up, thereby making contact between the switch-member 8 and the bottom of the bracket which has conductivity. This will close the circuit between the battery and lightbulb 20, To open the circuit and shut off the light, push the button down.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentis:

1. In an auxiliary flashlight extension, the combination, which comprises a flashlight hav-- ing a main casing including a battery, light bulb, and button-actuated switch, a cup-shaped casing positioned on the main casing spaced from the. end thereof in which the light bulb is positioned, a contact bar extending through the main casing with one end in contact with terminals of the light bulb and battery and the other extend ing into said cup-shaped casing, means insulating the contact bar from the main casing, an

elongated bendable tube having a light bulb socket at the outer end and a threaded bushing at the inner end, means mounting said threaded bushing in the end of the cup-shaped casing with the bendable tube parallel to the axis of the main casing of the flashlight, and a contact element extending through said bendable tube with one end positioned to engage a contact of a light bulb in the socket at the outer end of the tube and the other in contact with said contact bar extending through the main casing,

2. In an auxiliary flashlight extension, the

combination, which comprises a flashlight; having a main casing including a battery, light bulb,

and button-actuated switch, a cup-shaped casing positioned on the main casing the end thereof in which said light; bulb is-positioned, a contact bar extending through the main casing with one end in contact With'a contact of the light bulb and a contact of the battery. andwith the otheriextending. into. said cupshaped casing, an, elongated bendable tubular support having a light bulbsocket at. the outer :end and: an enlarged: threaded bushing. at the inner, end, said cup-shaped casing .having a.

4 threaded socket in which the threaded bushing SANFORD E, W'HITE.

REFERENCES CITED file of this patent:

The following references are of record in \he Number Number UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Kitsuda Sept. 7, 1937 Mongan July 23, 1940 Simpson June 16, 1925 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain July 3, 1924 

